State of Logistics 2016: Pursue mutual benefit November retail sales see modest sequential gains and stronger annual increase Insulated curtain wall manages temperatures for organic produce Insulated curtain wall manages temperatures for organic produce Differences in freight rail pricing between shippers and carriers are front and center in GAO report More News Retail sales for the month of November saw modest sequential gains over October and larger annual gains, according to data issued by the United States Department of Commerce and the National Retail Federation (NRF). Commerce reported that November retail sales were up 0.1 percent over October, following a 0.6 percent (revised from 0.8 percent) increase from September to October, at $465.5 billion. Total retail sales from September to November saw a 3.7 percent annual gain. Retail trade sales saw a 3.6 percent annual gain and were basically flat from October to November. And nonstore retailers were up 11.9 percent annually, likely due to increased e-commerce activity. The NRF reported that retail sales, excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants, were up 0.1 percent from October to November, following an increase of 0.9 percent from September to October, and were up 5 percent compared to November 2015. And online and other non-store sales saw an impressive 15.3 percent annual increase, a gain NRF said was buoyed by e-commerce. “Consumers were able to take advantage of low prices throughout the first half of the holiday season, checking out with full baskets but paying less even though purchasing was up,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a statement. “The combination of job and wage gains led to solid holiday spending by American households. Consumers have the wherewithal to spend but households remain measured and rational, which is no surprise given their history since the recovery began in 2009.” The NRF […]